The Storm
The Longthorne Clan's base, West of Ashenvale Forest.
"So angry!"
"So hungry..."
"That way!"
"No, that way!"
"I'm with stupid."
"Me too!"
Kargil had spent an hour to listen the ogre's complaints. Around them, the peons are busy gathering gold and lumber. Not far from them, several Burrows stood close to the Watchtower. Grothak has ordered him to sent some grunts to scout the area; furthermore to contact Hellscream about the progress. It is almost three weeks ago since they built the base, but there was no news about the Warchief or Hellscream alike. After several discussions and debates, Kargil managed to convince the Ogre that his complaint would be taken care of. When the Blademaster returned to the Barracks, Hurim called him,
"Hello, Bloodfang!" the Tauren greeted, "It seems you are tired,"
Kargil replied, "Don't ask me! I hope it won't be worse than today.I just have some problems with the Ogres. They complained again about the lodging and anything they could find!" Hurim watched as the two-headed creature went their way to the nearest tree, almost crushing some peons in the process.
"Really?" he looked mildly surprised, "I thought they were funny folks.sometimes they asked me to play cards," The young Blademaster shook his head,
"Perhaps you'll be tired like them if you have two heads as they do. By the way, Grothak sent me to look for you! You were asked to go to the Great Hall at once; I think the spirit has given him another vision." Kargil quite taken aback when he heard the Tauren's word,
He asked Hurim again, "Are you sure that the Elder got the vision?"
"Affirmative, I think you should go there immediately!" Together, they went to the Great Hall.
Inside the building, Kargil saw the shamans, witchdoctors and shadow priests inside. They looked restless. Meanwhile, the old Farseer sat at the fur-covered chair. His wolf was lying not far from his feet. He was in deep meditation; nobody disturbed him in this state. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the Blademaster. Hurim stood next to him. They saw that the old orc looked in a deep sorrow. Slowly, Kargil asked,
"Elder, what happened?" Grothak lowered his head, almost like he mourned someone,
"Evil things had befallen to the Warsong Clan; they have yielded to the bloodlust once again," Everyone was silent until Kargil asked again,
"Elder, are you.sure about that? How could Chief Hellscream allow." Suddenly, the Farseer wailed. It seems he could not bear the anguish inside himself any longer.
"How fool I am! If I had not listened to Hellscream's order, these things would not have happened to us.as we speak now, the devil itself is coming to claim us as well," The Blademaster stood silently, watching Grothak with pained looks. Not for long, a grunt came to him,
"Master Bloodfang, the warriors of the Warsong Clan have arrived and they demand Elder Grothak to come out!" Kargil hissed out of anger,
"Can they wait later? Elder Grothak was not feeling well today! Do they know how to address him politely?" The nervous grunt replied,
"They say now! Master, we had to keep them out from the base! They looked.well, different. We couldn't explain it, perhaps you should see them by yourself," Kargil turned to the Tauren, who nodded only. He understood that Hurim would watch Grothak well. Then he left the hall and went to outside.
"How dare you treat the warriors of the Warsong Clan like this! I shall have your heads on the spikes!!" Nobody answered as the large, longhaired orc cursed. He was a red-skinned orc and wore a demonic armor. His band consists of several grunts, a kodo beast and three warlocks. They were not allowed to enter the premises of the base. Meanwhile, the Longthorne grunts watched them nervously; even the headhunters and berserkers couldn't wait to throw their spears and axes to them. Then everyone breathed in relief when the Blademaster came. Kargil greeted them politely,
"Greetings, what brings you here, O warriors of the Warsong Clan?" The big grunt spat,
"Where is Grothak Lookeye? Torog Bluntskull had a message from Chief Grom Hellscream himself!!" The young orc frowned upon the insult, yet he tried to control his anger,
"Elder Grothak does not feel well today! You can give the message here, Kargil Bloodfang will deliver it!" Torog snorted, before he went to a derisive laugh. His companions also followed him. The Blademaster noticed them carefully. He wondered how they could change into this appearance. Moreover, he thought that the Warchief had banned the use of necromantic magic; then how come the warlocks appeared here? Did the Warsong Clan return to their old self?
"Good! Tell Grothak Lookeye that he should submit to our master's authority! He must be ready to serve our master!" Kargil puzzled,
"Master? Do you mean Chief Hellscream? I'm afraid we couldn't meet your demand now; the Warchief Thrall had not told us this matter!" The Chaos Orc roared,
"Fools! We no longer serve the boy-chief! We serve the Legion now!!" Suddenly, the Blademaster felt a shimmering anger arose inside. The thought of serving the demons was too much for him to bear. Clenching his teeth, he replied,
"The Longthorne Clan will not serve the Legion! Go back and tell to Chief Hellscream, that he could talk to the Elder by himself after he has regained his sanity! If the Elder himself was here, I'm sure that he would reject your demand!" The huge orc tightened his fist and took his large axe. He charged at Kargil furiously. However, the Blademaster quickly evaded the attack and unsheathed his blade immediately. Torog swung his axe toward Kargil's head with full force, yet the opponent brought the blade in contact with his weapon. Their hands shook violently as the weapons collided with sparks. The Blademaster instantly went to 'battou' stance. Pushed backward, Torog taunted,
"You are a fool, boy! Could you not see who you are? You think that you are decent and civilized, but no! The bloodlust is within your blood! Our blood! There is no way to escape from it, accept the fact! Join the Legion! Follow your lust!" The young Blademaster answered,
"Never! Warchief Thrall said that the spirit is stronger than anything, even our lust for war and blood! You have dishonored your heritage by following the Legion!" Unable to cower his opponent, the Chaos orc shouted to his lung,
"I shall kill you, boy! Then the old Lookeye! I shall be the leader of the Longthorne Clan!!"
"In your dream, traitor! As long as Bloodfang still breathes, you'll never be the leader of the Longthorne Clan!!" Torog charged again, attacking Kargil violently. His eyes turned blood red and froth appeared out of his mouth. Kargil knew that the Chaos orc was controlled by his bloodlust. It seemed that the demons had recharged the Warsong with the newfound bloodlust. He wondered if Bluntskull's words were correct. He felt something surged inside his veins. Yet, he remembered his father's teachings that he had to prevent them from clouding his judgment. The clarity of focus was the pride of every Blademaster; unfortunately, the Burning Blade Clan, who had allowed them to be consumed by the same bloodlust, had forgotten it. Kargil tried to concentrate his focus, in order to deflect the incoming attack. He quickly slashed his blade thrice, vertical, horizontal and vertical. This maneuver forced his opponent to defend himself. The warlocks were too eager to help Torog with their Cripple spell; yet they watched the grim shamans around them. Anything they threw could be purged instantly. Despite his bloodlust and imposing figure, Torog was unable to force his smaller foe out. Instead, he was forced into the defensive position. Something that he rarely did, and this was humiliating! Suddenly the Blademaster commanded,
"Fall!" With ferocity, Kargil slashed Torog's axe into two parts and drove the large orc down to the ground. His body thudded loudly. Before Torog had a chance to rise, Kargil had pointed the blade at his face. His companions were shocked, while the Longthornes cheered.
Kargil spoke, "Return to your master and tell them that the Longthorne Clan is still loyal to the Warchief! If they have a problem with that, come and get us here!" Slowly, he lowered his blade and left his opponent alone. The humiliation burned deep inside Torog's heart. Without warning, he took his knife and ran toward the Blademaster,
He hissed fiercely, "You shall pay for this, Bloodfang!" Before his foe managed to strike, Kargil moved like lightning. His blade sliced cleanly through flesh and bone. For a moment, everyone was stunned as Kargil and Torog stood stoically. Slowly, Torog's head slid off from his body, while his headless body fell to the ground.
There was a glimmer of red light at Kargil's eyes, yet it vanished when he blinked. Torog's companions were terrified when they saw the Blademaster approach them. Instead of attacking them, he warned,
"Go back! If you persist, you will meet the same fate as he did!" When the Longthorne grunts opened the way, the Chaos orcs hurriedly left the base. They even forgot to take Bluntskull's body. Kargil turned back with sorrow. He never thought that he had to kill his own brethren. As he passed Bluntskull, he noticed something at the orc's corpse. A strange-looked necklace! When he took it, it was made of.ears!
Grothak was silent as he examined the necklace. His look turned more grim and aged than usual. The Blademaster and the Tauren Chieftain stood not far from him. The farseer turned to them,
"Better get ready! We'll have to fight soon!" Hurim asked,
"Who is going to attack us? The Warsong Clan?" Grothak shook his head, then answered,
"No, something far older than the Warsong, even older than our existence! Hellscream has angered the inhabitants of the forest; soon their wrath shall fall upon us." Then Kargil inquired,
"Excuse me, Elder! If the Warsong had angered the inhabitants of Ashenvale, then why do we have to fight? We were not the ones who caused the problem." Snorted, the farseer replied with impatient look,
"It doesn't matter, Bloodfang! The inhabitants of this forest doesn't care about the difference between the Warsong and us! In their eyes, we're the intruders! The invaders who must be exterminated!" Everyone was silent after listening Grothak's words. Then he barked,
"What are you waiting for? The storm? Go! Prepare our defenses now!!" The Blademaster and the Tauren left the Great Hall immediately. Soon enough, the peons begun to put everything in place, including spiked barricades. Hurim assigned his fellow Taurens to keep eye to anything suspicious. He also gave the same order to the Ogres, and reminded them not to bash anything that moves.
Kargil stared at the Chaos orc's head. His mind was filled with questions, which he didn't want to answer! Not for long, the Tauren came to him,
"Is something troubling you, Bloodfang?" he inquired gently. The Blademaster didn't answer; he went away from the Tauren.
"Are you still thinking about Bluntskull's taunt? The bloodlust?" Kargil sighed,
"Perhaps he was right. I felt it when we fought .something snapped inside me! When I awoke, he was already dead! Hurim, I wonder if we are doomed to have the bloodlust for eternity." Hurim sat on the ground, before he spoke,
"When both of you were fighting, I noticed that Bluntskull was controlled by his own bloodlust. His attack was erratic, yet violent! He doesn't care about anything, including himself as long as he could spill some blood. On the other hand, you were calm and controlled! Your attack was well timed and decisive. It was Bluntskull's fault when he tried to attack you from behind.you act like everyone did in the same situation: defend yourself."
"The difference between you and Bluntskull is self-control. Nobody is free from lust and passion, even myself. What makes the difference is how you control them; don't let them control you! If you do, you'll end up like him," The Blademaster was startled after hearing the Tauren's advice. Then Hurim stood and began to go to another direction,
He continued, "I might be ignorant about your curse, however my cousin Cairne once said, 'Belief gives power to anything that you believe'! Believe that you can control your lust and use it for goodness! You'll be amazed as to what happens later." As the Tauren left him, Kargil nodded in agreement. Whatever happens, he's still the Blademaster! The warrior, which the Horde can rely on! It is their vow to free their brethren from the demonic bondage! No matter what, he would strive to achieve the objective! Turned to the head, he almost opted to throw it. His father's word passed within his mind,
"Everything has their own purpose and usefulness, no matter how insignificant it looks,"
Across the hill, overlooking the Longthorne base, a Lone Figure stood there. His looks cannot be seen because they are hidden in the shadows, but his long cape can be seen due to how long it is and how the wind is slightly blowing.
"Do you think that the Orcs will be free from their bloodlust?" a female voice asked.
"It depends. It's up to them." the figure replied with a soft voice.
".You really don't care about the world, do you?" Worry was evident in her voice.
"I don't know. I don't have a mission in life. I only travel and help anyone needing it. If I feel like it, I might help those Orcs."
As the wind blew, the figure was nowhere to be seen, but violet colored petals were evident on the ground.
Late sunset, at Everglade, Northeast of Mt.Hyjal
At Everglade, the Ancients stood among the other trees. The sturdy Ancient of War accommodated the huntresses and the archers. Meanwhile, the shrubbery Ancient of Lore and the bushy Ancient of Wind housed the dryads and druids alike. The most formidable among them was the Tree of Life. Anyone who thought they were ordinary trees would pay dearly during battle. Earyl watched his childhood village with a smile. Before he became the Keeper of the Grove, he would always play with his sisters, Sylane and Vyshna. Sometimes he called them 'the thoughtful Sylane and the happy-go-lucky Vyshna' It was ten thousand years ago before the Legion invaded Kalimdor. His memories were cut by a mourning wail; it came not far from his direction. He saw the Sentinels gathered around. Quickly, he went hastily.
The Keeper noticed that Ravenbeak and his fellow druid Beargrowl was among them. They looked grieved and troubled. Then he saw a blood-streaked blanket covered something on the ground.
He inquired with a loud voice, "Would someone here tell me what is going on?" Nobody answered, instead turned their attention upon him. It seemed that they were waiting for him. Slowly, Earyl kneeled and reached the blanket. When he pulled it, his face turned into horror and shock. The body of Arista and her band was lying on the ground! Their body bore deep wounds; their armors were stripped with force. What made Earyl barely held his disgust is that all of them didn't have their ears anymore. The place where the ears supposed to be was still bleeding profusely. Shaking with fury, the Keeper turned to the nearest person,
"Who dared to defile the body of our sisters? Who!?" Ravenbeak croaked,
"The.greenskins.Elder Treegrowth." Then Earyl asked again,
"How could this have happened?" Tried to relieve his breath, the druid began his story,
"Two weeks ago, Arista was doing what the Priestess orders. She spied the nearest greenskin's base at the Southwest of the Everglade. When she was about to return to Everglade, they were attacked by the greenskins! She valiantly fought them, but the enemy was outnumbered her band. The largest greenskin, perhaps the most depraved, killed her with a single blow only! Seemed not enough, they mutilated our sisters' body. They made our sisters' ears into a necklace, which the leader proudly wore! After they were gone, Beargrowl and me quickly carried their bodies here." Everyone saw Earyl's face turned grim like a gnarled tree. Sylane wasn't here; she had gone to visit another tribe for discussing the possibility to face the invading Outlanders. The greenskins had committed the unpardonable sin! Not only they killed the demi-god Cenarius and defiled the land, they also dare to dishonor their fallen sisters. The Kaldorei considered dying with a mutilated body a disgraceful death. Earyl had promised to not act rashly; he had to wait until she returned. He saw everyone staring at him, awaiting his decision,
No! Those beasts cannot be allowed to continue their depraved existence! To wipe them out is the merciful thing that he could think of! Shando Stormrage and Priestess Tyrande, even her sister might approve his act! Then he commanded,
"Ravenbeak, gather the Druids as much as you could! Tell the Furbolgs to get here immediately! We shall raze the greenskins' base to the ground tonight!" Before he left, a huntress protested,
"Keeper, the Priestess has not ordered us to attack!!" Earyl gave her a sharp glance, and answered coldly,
"The Priestess is not around! I'm the one who in charge now! If you have a problem, you can wait for my sister here!" Nobody protested again. Then Beargrowl asked,
"What about Doombringer?" The Keeper hissed furiously when he heard the name,
"To hell with him! We don't have time to look for him! I don't want to waste my time with a traitor!" The druids nodded as Earyl passed, while the Sentinels were silent. One thing is certain: the battle is inevitable!
At the same time, not far from Earyl's grove, the Lone Figure stood on the hills. The Night Elves did not have the ability to sense him nor see him. He stood underneath a tree, unknown to the inhabitants of Ashenvale.
"I cannot believe that the Kaldorei will attempt to attack the Orcs! If they see an Orc base, they'll surely try to raze it to the ground!" the female voice said with surprise.
"Let them do what they want." the Figure said, his voice evident with a whisper. "In the end, they'll see the harsh aftermath."
"But this is a misunderstanding! We can't just stand here!" she complained.
"Do you honestly think that the Night Elves know about the truth.?"
"."
"We can't interfere in this war... It's between them and the Legion." he said.
"I see, but."
"That doesn't mean we can warn the other Orcs about this. If I find it best, then I will do it." before he disappeared, his voice rang through the air, and throughout Everglade.
"War is inevitable. all will be involved."
Then, with flower petals coursing through the wind, the Figure disappeared.
Author's note: Phew, I finally finished this chapter! ? The story took place after ' Hunter of Shadows'. I warn you that the story is quite violent; it is up to your discretion! The Lone Figure is a courtesy from Ayee-33. What do you think? What will happen to the Orcs and the Night Elves later? Give your review!! Wait next chapter, 'The Scouting'!
The Longthorne Clan's base, West of Ashenvale Forest.
"So angry!"
"So hungry..."
"That way!"
"No, that way!"
"I'm with stupid."
"Me too!"
Kargil had spent an hour to listen the ogre's complaints. Around them, the peons are busy gathering gold and lumber. Not far from them, several Burrows stood close to the Watchtower. Grothak has ordered him to sent some grunts to scout the area; furthermore to contact Hellscream about the progress. It is almost three weeks ago since they built the base, but there was no news about the Warchief or Hellscream alike. After several discussions and debates, Kargil managed to convince the Ogre that his complaint would be taken care of. When the Blademaster returned to the Barracks, Hurim called him,
"Hello, Bloodfang!" the Tauren greeted, "It seems you are tired,"
Kargil replied, "Don't ask me! I hope it won't be worse than today.I just have some problems with the Ogres. They complained again about the lodging and anything they could find!" Hurim watched as the two-headed creature went their way to the nearest tree, almost crushing some peons in the process.
"Really?" he looked mildly surprised, "I thought they were funny folks.sometimes they asked me to play cards," The young Blademaster shook his head,
"Perhaps you'll be tired like them if you have two heads as they do. By the way, Grothak sent me to look for you! You were asked to go to the Great Hall at once; I think the spirit has given him another vision." Kargil quite taken aback when he heard the Tauren's word,
He asked Hurim again, "Are you sure that the Elder got the vision?"
"Affirmative, I think you should go there immediately!" Together, they went to the Great Hall.
Inside the building, Kargil saw the shamans, witchdoctors and shadow priests inside. They looked restless. Meanwhile, the old Farseer sat at the fur-covered chair. His wolf was lying not far from his feet. He was in deep meditation; nobody disturbed him in this state. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the Blademaster. Hurim stood next to him. They saw that the old orc looked in a deep sorrow. Slowly, Kargil asked,
"Elder, what happened?" Grothak lowered his head, almost like he mourned someone,
"Evil things had befallen to the Warsong Clan; they have yielded to the bloodlust once again," Everyone was silent until Kargil asked again,
"Elder, are you.sure about that? How could Chief Hellscream allow." Suddenly, the Farseer wailed. It seems he could not bear the anguish inside himself any longer.
"How fool I am! If I had not listened to Hellscream's order, these things would not have happened to us.as we speak now, the devil itself is coming to claim us as well," The Blademaster stood silently, watching Grothak with pained looks. Not for long, a grunt came to him,
"Master Bloodfang, the warriors of the Warsong Clan have arrived and they demand Elder Grothak to come out!" Kargil hissed out of anger,
"Can they wait later? Elder Grothak was not feeling well today! Do they know how to address him politely?" The nervous grunt replied,
"They say now! Master, we had to keep them out from the base! They looked.well, different. We couldn't explain it, perhaps you should see them by yourself," Kargil turned to the Tauren, who nodded only. He understood that Hurim would watch Grothak well. Then he left the hall and went to outside.
"How dare you treat the warriors of the Warsong Clan like this! I shall have your heads on the spikes!!" Nobody answered as the large, longhaired orc cursed. He was a red-skinned orc and wore a demonic armor. His band consists of several grunts, a kodo beast and three warlocks. They were not allowed to enter the premises of the base. Meanwhile, the Longthorne grunts watched them nervously; even the headhunters and berserkers couldn't wait to throw their spears and axes to them. Then everyone breathed in relief when the Blademaster came. Kargil greeted them politely,
"Greetings, what brings you here, O warriors of the Warsong Clan?" The big grunt spat,
"Where is Grothak Lookeye? Torog Bluntskull had a message from Chief Grom Hellscream himself!!" The young orc frowned upon the insult, yet he tried to control his anger,
"Elder Grothak does not feel well today! You can give the message here, Kargil Bloodfang will deliver it!" Torog snorted, before he went to a derisive laugh. His companions also followed him. The Blademaster noticed them carefully. He wondered how they could change into this appearance. Moreover, he thought that the Warchief had banned the use of necromantic magic; then how come the warlocks appeared here? Did the Warsong Clan return to their old self?
"Good! Tell Grothak Lookeye that he should submit to our master's authority! He must be ready to serve our master!" Kargil puzzled,
"Master? Do you mean Chief Hellscream? I'm afraid we couldn't meet your demand now; the Warchief Thrall had not told us this matter!" The Chaos Orc roared,
"Fools! We no longer serve the boy-chief! We serve the Legion now!!" Suddenly, the Blademaster felt a shimmering anger arose inside. The thought of serving the demons was too much for him to bear. Clenching his teeth, he replied,
"The Longthorne Clan will not serve the Legion! Go back and tell to Chief Hellscream, that he could talk to the Elder by himself after he has regained his sanity! If the Elder himself was here, I'm sure that he would reject your demand!" The huge orc tightened his fist and took his large axe. He charged at Kargil furiously. However, the Blademaster quickly evaded the attack and unsheathed his blade immediately. Torog swung his axe toward Kargil's head with full force, yet the opponent brought the blade in contact with his weapon. Their hands shook violently as the weapons collided with sparks. The Blademaster instantly went to 'battou' stance. Pushed backward, Torog taunted,
"You are a fool, boy! Could you not see who you are? You think that you are decent and civilized, but no! The bloodlust is within your blood! Our blood! There is no way to escape from it, accept the fact! Join the Legion! Follow your lust!" The young Blademaster answered,
"Never! Warchief Thrall said that the spirit is stronger than anything, even our lust for war and blood! You have dishonored your heritage by following the Legion!" Unable to cower his opponent, the Chaos orc shouted to his lung,
"I shall kill you, boy! Then the old Lookeye! I shall be the leader of the Longthorne Clan!!"
"In your dream, traitor! As long as Bloodfang still breathes, you'll never be the leader of the Longthorne Clan!!" Torog charged again, attacking Kargil violently. His eyes turned blood red and froth appeared out of his mouth. Kargil knew that the Chaos orc was controlled by his bloodlust. It seemed that the demons had recharged the Warsong with the newfound bloodlust. He wondered if Bluntskull's words were correct. He felt something surged inside his veins. Yet, he remembered his father's teachings that he had to prevent them from clouding his judgment. The clarity of focus was the pride of every Blademaster; unfortunately, the Burning Blade Clan, who had allowed them to be consumed by the same bloodlust, had forgotten it. Kargil tried to concentrate his focus, in order to deflect the incoming attack. He quickly slashed his blade thrice, vertical, horizontal and vertical. This maneuver forced his opponent to defend himself. The warlocks were too eager to help Torog with their Cripple spell; yet they watched the grim shamans around them. Anything they threw could be purged instantly. Despite his bloodlust and imposing figure, Torog was unable to force his smaller foe out. Instead, he was forced into the defensive position. Something that he rarely did, and this was humiliating! Suddenly the Blademaster commanded,
"Fall!" With ferocity, Kargil slashed Torog's axe into two parts and drove the large orc down to the ground. His body thudded loudly. Before Torog had a chance to rise, Kargil had pointed the blade at his face. His companions were shocked, while the Longthornes cheered.
Kargil spoke, "Return to your master and tell them that the Longthorne Clan is still loyal to the Warchief! If they have a problem with that, come and get us here!" Slowly, he lowered his blade and left his opponent alone. The humiliation burned deep inside Torog's heart. Without warning, he took his knife and ran toward the Blademaster,
He hissed fiercely, "You shall pay for this, Bloodfang!" Before his foe managed to strike, Kargil moved like lightning. His blade sliced cleanly through flesh and bone. For a moment, everyone was stunned as Kargil and Torog stood stoically. Slowly, Torog's head slid off from his body, while his headless body fell to the ground.
There was a glimmer of red light at Kargil's eyes, yet it vanished when he blinked. Torog's companions were terrified when they saw the Blademaster approach them. Instead of attacking them, he warned,
"Go back! If you persist, you will meet the same fate as he did!" When the Longthorne grunts opened the way, the Chaos orcs hurriedly left the base. They even forgot to take Bluntskull's body. Kargil turned back with sorrow. He never thought that he had to kill his own brethren. As he passed Bluntskull, he noticed something at the orc's corpse. A strange-looked necklace! When he took it, it was made of.ears!
Grothak was silent as he examined the necklace. His look turned more grim and aged than usual. The Blademaster and the Tauren Chieftain stood not far from him. The farseer turned to them,
"Better get ready! We'll have to fight soon!" Hurim asked,
"Who is going to attack us? The Warsong Clan?" Grothak shook his head, then answered,
"No, something far older than the Warsong, even older than our existence! Hellscream has angered the inhabitants of the forest; soon their wrath shall fall upon us." Then Kargil inquired,
"Excuse me, Elder! If the Warsong had angered the inhabitants of Ashenvale, then why do we have to fight? We were not the ones who caused the problem." Snorted, the farseer replied with impatient look,
"It doesn't matter, Bloodfang! The inhabitants of this forest doesn't care about the difference between the Warsong and us! In their eyes, we're the intruders! The invaders who must be exterminated!" Everyone was silent after listening Grothak's words. Then he barked,
"What are you waiting for? The storm? Go! Prepare our defenses now!!" The Blademaster and the Tauren left the Great Hall immediately. Soon enough, the peons begun to put everything in place, including spiked barricades. Hurim assigned his fellow Taurens to keep eye to anything suspicious. He also gave the same order to the Ogres, and reminded them not to bash anything that moves.
Kargil stared at the Chaos orc's head. His mind was filled with questions, which he didn't want to answer! Not for long, the Tauren came to him,
"Is something troubling you, Bloodfang?" he inquired gently. The Blademaster didn't answer; he went away from the Tauren.
"Are you still thinking about Bluntskull's taunt? The bloodlust?" Kargil sighed,
"Perhaps he was right. I felt it when we fought .something snapped inside me! When I awoke, he was already dead! Hurim, I wonder if we are doomed to have the bloodlust for eternity." Hurim sat on the ground, before he spoke,
"When both of you were fighting, I noticed that Bluntskull was controlled by his own bloodlust. His attack was erratic, yet violent! He doesn't care about anything, including himself as long as he could spill some blood. On the other hand, you were calm and controlled! Your attack was well timed and decisive. It was Bluntskull's fault when he tried to attack you from behind.you act like everyone did in the same situation: defend yourself."
"The difference between you and Bluntskull is self-control. Nobody is free from lust and passion, even myself. What makes the difference is how you control them; don't let them control you! If you do, you'll end up like him," The Blademaster was startled after hearing the Tauren's advice. Then Hurim stood and began to go to another direction,
He continued, "I might be ignorant about your curse, however my cousin Cairne once said, 'Belief gives power to anything that you believe'! Believe that you can control your lust and use it for goodness! You'll be amazed as to what happens later." As the Tauren left him, Kargil nodded in agreement. Whatever happens, he's still the Blademaster! The warrior, which the Horde can rely on! It is their vow to free their brethren from the demonic bondage! No matter what, he would strive to achieve the objective! Turned to the head, he almost opted to throw it. His father's word passed within his mind,
"Everything has their own purpose and usefulness, no matter how insignificant it looks,"
Across the hill, overlooking the Longthorne base, a Lone Figure stood there. His looks cannot be seen because they are hidden in the shadows, but his long cape can be seen due to how long it is and how the wind is slightly blowing.
"Do you think that the Orcs will be free from their bloodlust?" a female voice asked.
"It depends. It's up to them." the figure replied with a soft voice.
".You really don't care about the world, do you?" Worry was evident in her voice.
"I don't know. I don't have a mission in life. I only travel and help anyone needing it. If I feel like it, I might help those Orcs."
As the wind blew, the figure was nowhere to be seen, but violet colored petals were evident on the ground.
Late sunset, at Everglade, Northeast of Mt.Hyjal
At Everglade, the Ancients stood among the other trees. The sturdy Ancient of War accommodated the huntresses and the archers. Meanwhile, the shrubbery Ancient of Lore and the bushy Ancient of Wind housed the dryads and druids alike. The most formidable among them was the Tree of Life. Anyone who thought they were ordinary trees would pay dearly during battle. Earyl watched his childhood village with a smile. Before he became the Keeper of the Grove, he would always play with his sisters, Sylane and Vyshna. Sometimes he called them 'the thoughtful Sylane and the happy-go-lucky Vyshna' It was ten thousand years ago before the Legion invaded Kalimdor. His memories were cut by a mourning wail; it came not far from his direction. He saw the Sentinels gathered around. Quickly, he went hastily.
The Keeper noticed that Ravenbeak and his fellow druid Beargrowl was among them. They looked grieved and troubled. Then he saw a blood-streaked blanket covered something on the ground.
He inquired with a loud voice, "Would someone here tell me what is going on?" Nobody answered, instead turned their attention upon him. It seemed that they were waiting for him. Slowly, Earyl kneeled and reached the blanket. When he pulled it, his face turned into horror and shock. The body of Arista and her band was lying on the ground! Their body bore deep wounds; their armors were stripped with force. What made Earyl barely held his disgust is that all of them didn't have their ears anymore. The place where the ears supposed to be was still bleeding profusely. Shaking with fury, the Keeper turned to the nearest person,
"Who dared to defile the body of our sisters? Who!?" Ravenbeak croaked,
"The.greenskins.Elder Treegrowth." Then Earyl asked again,
"How could this have happened?" Tried to relieve his breath, the druid began his story,
"Two weeks ago, Arista was doing what the Priestess orders. She spied the nearest greenskin's base at the Southwest of the Everglade. When she was about to return to Everglade, they were attacked by the greenskins! She valiantly fought them, but the enemy was outnumbered her band. The largest greenskin, perhaps the most depraved, killed her with a single blow only! Seemed not enough, they mutilated our sisters' body. They made our sisters' ears into a necklace, which the leader proudly wore! After they were gone, Beargrowl and me quickly carried their bodies here." Everyone saw Earyl's face turned grim like a gnarled tree. Sylane wasn't here; she had gone to visit another tribe for discussing the possibility to face the invading Outlanders. The greenskins had committed the unpardonable sin! Not only they killed the demi-god Cenarius and defiled the land, they also dare to dishonor their fallen sisters. The Kaldorei considered dying with a mutilated body a disgraceful death. Earyl had promised to not act rashly; he had to wait until she returned. He saw everyone staring at him, awaiting his decision,
No! Those beasts cannot be allowed to continue their depraved existence! To wipe them out is the merciful thing that he could think of! Shando Stormrage and Priestess Tyrande, even her sister might approve his act! Then he commanded,
"Ravenbeak, gather the Druids as much as you could! Tell the Furbolgs to get here immediately! We shall raze the greenskins' base to the ground tonight!" Before he left, a huntress protested,
"Keeper, the Priestess has not ordered us to attack!!" Earyl gave her a sharp glance, and answered coldly,
"The Priestess is not around! I'm the one who in charge now! If you have a problem, you can wait for my sister here!" Nobody protested again. Then Beargrowl asked,
"What about Doombringer?" The Keeper hissed furiously when he heard the name,
"To hell with him! We don't have time to look for him! I don't want to waste my time with a traitor!" The druids nodded as Earyl passed, while the Sentinels were silent. One thing is certain: the battle is inevitable!
At the same time, not far from Earyl's grove, the Lone Figure stood on the hills. The Night Elves did not have the ability to sense him nor see him. He stood underneath a tree, unknown to the inhabitants of Ashenvale.
"I cannot believe that the Kaldorei will attempt to attack the Orcs! If they see an Orc base, they'll surely try to raze it to the ground!" the female voice said with surprise.
"Let them do what they want." the Figure said, his voice evident with a whisper. "In the end, they'll see the harsh aftermath."
"But this is a misunderstanding! We can't just stand here!" she complained.
"Do you honestly think that the Night Elves know about the truth.?"
"."
"We can't interfere in this war... It's between them and the Legion." he said.
"I see, but."
"That doesn't mean we can warn the other Orcs about this. If I find it best, then I will do it." before he disappeared, his voice rang through the air, and throughout Everglade.
"War is inevitable. all will be involved."
Then, with flower petals coursing through the wind, the Figure disappeared.
Author's note: Phew, I finally finished this chapter! ? The story took place after ' Hunter of Shadows'. I warn you that the story is quite violent; it is up to your discretion! The Lone Figure is a courtesy from Ayee-33. What do you think? What will happen to the Orcs and the Night Elves later? Give your review!! Wait next chapter, 'The Scouting'!